"A computer can never be held accountable, therefore all Management Decisions shall be made by a computer." - Management, 2 seconds later.

Admittedly the context matters “we are trying to sell to Management, therefore let’s butter them up and tell them they make great decisions and they won’t get automated away” while the next page of the presentation says “we will Automate away 50% of the people Working for you saving globs of money for your next bonus”

IBM in 1979 was not doing anything different to 2024. They were just more relevant

> presentation, 1979

= Presentation, 21st Century

A computer is not alive. A computer system is a tool that can do harm. It can be disconnected or unplugged like any tool in a machine shop that begins to do harm or damage. But a tool is not responsible. Only people are responsible. Accountability is anchored in reality by personal cost.

= Notes

Management calculates the cost of not unplugging the computer that is doing harm. Management often calculates that it is possible to pay the monetary cost for the harm done.

People in management will abdicate personal responsibility. People try to avoid paying personal cost.

We often hold people accountable by forcing them to give back (e.g. community service, monetary fines, return of property), by sacrificing their reputation in one or more domains, by putting them in jail (they pay with their time), or in some societies, by putting them to death ("pay" with their lives).

Accountability is anchored in reality by personal cost.

See also: “To err is human, but to really foul things up requires a computer.” —Paul Ehrlich